Messianic Animals

There is a fascinating disagreement between the Rambam and Ramban related to the status of animals in Messianic times. The subject is related to a Pasuk in yesterday’s Parsha, that says, והשבתי חיה רעה מן הארץ, that Hashem is promising that evil animals will be “rested” in the land.

The Rambam felt that when Isaiah said that the wolf will lie down with the lamb, it is only a metaphor for a peaceful time, but animals of prey, will remain.

The Ramban disagrees and wrote that animals were never meant to attack other animals. Their consuming other animals was directly related to Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. At that time, nature changed. The prediction for the future is that animals will return to their original nature before Adam’s sin. We will never need to worry about the threat of dangerous animals.

Two very different takes on what will happen in the future.